Half and Half vs. Non-dairy Creamer- What’s the best for coffee?

We got a great question from Facebook about which is better to use in coffee, half and half or non-dairy creamer. I think this is a great topic to discuss because by itself, coffee is pretty healthy (see benefits explained here) and very low in calories (only 2 calories per cup). But what we add to it can get us in dietary trouble. For many people, what passes for coffee is really just a fancy milkshake with lots of added sugar and fat.

Lets compare the ingredients and nutrition facts to see what is the best coffee “mate.” (See what I did there!)

Coffee with cream, but what kind?

First up, it’s the battle of the non-dairy creamers. I wanted to look at both powdered and liquid since everyone reading may have different preferences. And there is one sneaky ingredient difference you should be aware of between the two.

In the battle of the non-dairy creamers, the liquid version is the clear winner. Trans fats are the worst kind of fat because they increase the risk of heart disease the most. We should avoid all trans fat as much as possible. Notice how we had to look at the ingredient list, and not the nutrition facts, to find the trans fat? That’s because if a product has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, it doesn’t have to be listed in the nutrition facts label (and apparently Supertracker doesn’t list trans fat, but you will find it on nutrition facts labels in the store).

Next up, we have the dairy options. The original question was about half and half, but I also added another choice to the mix to keep things interesting.

Both half and half and 1% milk are better choices than the non-dairy creamers. They are less processed and have more vitamins and minerals. But between these two dairy options, 1% milk is a better choice because it has less saturated fat and cholesterol than half and half. This should be familiar since FNP, MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines all like to remind us to choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products.

If you prefer the other options, try gradually switching to 1% milk. You will get used to the difference in flavor and in no time will enjoy your healthier coffee just as much as your current choice. (Just remember to look at the amount of sweetener in your coffee, too. But that is a whole other post for another day!)

Share how you take your coffee in the comments and if this post made you rethink your drink.

Yeah, half and half will give you a creamier taste because it has more fat. But it is all about what you get used to. If you want to switch to heart-healthier low fat dairy, do it gradually and your taste buds will eventually adapt.

I agree. Been reading labels and contents since 1969. I use half and half no sugar for a great cup of coffee. Plus not all coffees are equal. Most off the shelf preground have preservatives in them. I always grind mine just before making it. But am a coffee purist!

Since when is saturated fat bad for you? I cannot wait for the medical community to exorerate saturated fat and cholesterol and start pointing the finger at sugar as the culprit behind degenerative diseases. Look it up, it was a game changer for me.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Todd. As a USDA program, we teach the Dietary Guidelines, which recommend limiting saturated fat and cholesterol. But you are right that the evidence seems to be shifting as far as the role of saturated fat in heart disease. And the evidence about the damage diets high in sugar can cause is mounting- see our post about Added Sugar here: . I’m interested to see what the new Dietary Guidelines will say about it.

Todd, as a physician for 51 years, I believe it all depends on your DNA. Some can consume large amounts of fat with normal or even low levels of cholesterol etc. Some consume very small amounts with elevated blood cholesterol. Look at your ancestors and their health profiles.

Thanks for bringing up that point, Dawn. At the time this post was written, added sugar was not required to be listed in the nutrition information for food products. The updated Nutrition Facts labels, which are being rolled out, will now list added sugar separately. Both the non-dairy creamers have added sugar, while half and half and low-fat milk contain no added sugar. However, they do provide naturally occuring lactose, which is a type of carbohydrate known as milk sugar.

I’ve been struggling with losing the 100+ pounds that I gained with my last pregnancy & after seeing that the majority of the non dairy creamers contain partially hydrogenated fat, I switched to adding non fat milk. It took awhile to get used to my coffee not being g as creamy, but I’m finally used to it.
Now I’m working on going to decaffeinated because my doctor doesn’t think the caffeine mixes well with my being AD/HD, so wish me luck

As far as the decaf goes, I recommend you do it the same way as switching to non-fat milk- gradually. You can try mixing half caffeinated and half decaf and gradually increase the decaf. Or they also make half-caf blends of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. When switching to non-fat milk, it was only your tastebuds that needed to adjust. When cutting out caffeine, you might get some withdraw issues- headache, irritability, etc. That is why I highly recommend slowing switching to decaf, otherwise you might not feel too well for a week or so.

Trying to eat clean and green is definitely a challenge. Originally I was looking for a coffee creamer w/o
artificial ingredients, sugars, as well as saturated and trans fats. Can’t have your cake and eat it too…

I think regular half and half is a good option on low cab diets where fat is your friend and carbs are the enemy. But on a diet such as Weight Watchers that emphasizes moderation rather than elimination of certain foods and food groups and requires a greater calorie expenditure for fattier foods, I think fat free half and half is a better option.

We support the gradual,transition from all Halfn half by switching to unsweetened plain Soymilk . I honestly can not tell the difference ! I knew,I just needed to change my body composition by making some changes to what gets in!

My father uses Walmart’s Great Value brand powered Non-dairy coffee creamer. On it’s label it specifically states …0g Trans Fat Per Serving. Are they using the 0.5g loophole, or is this product actually Trans Fat free?

Thanks for your question, Dennis. I looked up that brand of creamer’s ingredient list and this is what it said: “Corn Syrup Solids, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Sodium Caseinate (A Milk Derivative), Dipotassium Phosphate, Mono- And Diglycerides, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor, Artificial Color. Allergy Warning: Contains Milk And Soy.” As you can see, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil is the second ingredient and anytime you see “partially hydrogenated,” it means there are trans fats, no matter what the Nutrition Facts Label says. This is because of the law that lets you use 0 grams on the Nutrition Facts Label if there is less than 0.5 grams per serving. If you look at the Nutrition Facts Label for that creamer, you’ll see that the serving size is just 2 grams (1 teaspoon), which is less than the weight of a dime. Using that small of a serving size helps keep the amount of trans fat below the level required to be listed on the Nutrition Facts Label. Like I said in the post, 1% or skim milk is best choice for coffee.

Have you tried adding a drop or two of vanilla extract to your coffee? Cinnamon is another sweet flavor that goes well with coffee. You can add a sprinkle (a little goes a long way!) to the coffee grounds when you brew the coffee or stir it in after.

Yes, both 1% milk or plain (unsweetened) soy milk are better options for coffee because they have less calories and saturated or trans fat than the usual non-dairy creamer or half and half. Glad you found this information to be useful. Let me know if you have any other questions! I’m happy to help.

What about (Carnation) dry milk and sugar? I am using it as a replacement to Coffeemate which I also used with sugar. I quit coffee ( and more importantly Coffeemate) for 2 months and my face thinned out in a way that it hadn’t in 20 years. I’m thin already but clearly my loads of heaping Coffeemate per cup – and having 3 cups or so a day – were a display of the trans fat I was unwittingly consuming.

Non-fat dry milk also is great option for your coffee, Maureen. Thanks for mentioning it as another alternative. The sugar is a bit of an issue, as Americans consume far too much sugar already. Like was suggested previously, slowly decreasing the amount of sugar gives your tastebuds time to adjust to less sugar in your coffee. Isn’t it amazing how such a seemingly small change can have a visible impact! Congrats on cutting out the sneaky trans fat found in non-dairy creamers.

I like to use dry powder Coffeemate Fat Free) at the office, because I can keep it for a long time. I know this is bad for me for many reasons, and I need to switch to a healthier option. I just read the post about non-fat dry milk which may be a good alternative for me. Is the sugar you refer to in your reply IN the dry milk, or are you refering to sugar added by the drinker? I do not add sugar to mine and do not want to increase my sugar intake if I can avoid it.

Yes, non-fat dry milk would be a great alternative to keep at the office. You can store it at room temperature for months, and it’s a better choice than non-dairy creamer because it doesn’t have trans or saturated fat. The previous commenter is adding sugar, along with the dry milk, to her coffee. If you don’t normally drink sugar in your coffee, using dry milk in place of non-dairy creamer won’t add any extra sugar. However, non-dairy creamer does contain sugar, so the dry milk will not be as sweet tasting! You can add in a bit of sugar at first, and gradually decrease the amount to give your tastebuds time to adjust. Be sure to let us know how the dry milk in your coffee tastes compared to the non-dairy creamer.

Great question. Here is a link to my full answer to a similar question about coconut oil. Long story short, coconut oil is very high in saturated fats, which we should be limiting in our diets (less than 10% of calories, or about 22 grams for the average 2,000 calorie diet). It is also pretty expensive in comparison to other, healthier fats.

Thanks for all the comments, and I finally see a solution to my difficulty with switching to something healthier than coffee-mate under all the various labels. I don’t like the cold liquids solely because they cool my coffee too much. So, the non-fat dry milk sounds like a plan for me. Also, I am a bit of a sweet-lover. So I have recently tried to remove all ‘fake’ sugars from my diet and, for now, use only ‘real’ sugar. In getting rid of the fake stuff in all its forms, I about emptied my frig! I am making a switch to Agave for coffee and my homemade cereal mix. I figure ‘real’ sugar is better than fake and then I hope to start using THAT in more moderation?!#??$

I’m glad you found this post helpful in making a healthier change to your coffee creamer, Carolyn. Isn’t it surprising to see how many of our foods contain added sweeteners (both real sugars and artificial ones)?

According to the Glycemic Research Institute, “agave syrup is very high in fructose…agave can contain as much as 80% fructose—high fructose contains 55%, and cane sugar contains 50$ fructose.” It has a very high glycemic index, and can bring on diabetes.

I am a calf (never properly weened) plus a coffee addict. I use non GMO zylotol as a sugar substitute all others including Agave unacceptably change the flavor. I also use powered creamer for it’s shelf life and it seems for the misguided perception that it was healthier than 1/2 &1/2.

So what about Lido the Mexican powered milk I use for baking and the rare occasion when I run out of milk. It tastes better than low fat US made dry milk. I know it has more fat which is what makes it taste better.

I drink coffee for the flavor so forget regular powdered low fat milk or skim milk they are awful. When i was a kid on my Grampa’s farm skim milk was pig slop and as far as I’m concerned still is. I’ll give up coffee before cream and sugar (Zylo Sweet).

Lee Ann, any type of unsweetened nut milk would be a good alternative to the typical coffee creamers. I would recommend choosing unsweetened versions that are fortified with Calcium and Vitamin D, and the one you mentioned is.

Great question, Lee Ann. I’ll definitely be writing a more detailed post about artificial sweeteners in the near future. In general, artificial sweeteners are safe in reasonable amounts. So if you like your coffee sweet, Splenda or Truvia (or your prefered artificial sweetener) would be a better choice than sugar.

I became diabetic in 2013, with my A1C was 6.4. I gave up regular soda, but started drinking about 2-3 cups off coffee a day with about 2 tsp of half & half in each one. The last time I had blood work my A1C, down to 5.3, and my glucose was 109, which was 142 before, but my LDL was 200, which never was a problem…could this be the half & half I’m using in my coffe?

Ann, I’m glad to hear you’ve had improvements in your blood sugar control since giving up sugary sodas. Since half and half contains more saturated fats than other options discussed in this article, it is possible this affected your LDL levels. Without being familiar with your medical history, I cannot say for sure. I would recommend that you consult your healthcare provider for more specific recommendations on controlling your LDL cholesterol.

My hubby is a diabetic. sometimes we just can’t get his sugar down. When it was high he was using coffemate french vanilla we noticed and changed to sugar free vanilla coffemate. now it is better. but then sometimes where we eat breatfast a couple of times a week , he forgets to bring his and he uses half and half. QUESTION…is half and half almost as good as the sugar free? He tried black and just can’t….thank you so much for the answer….

Suzie, thanks for taking the time to comment on this article. Reducing the amount of added sugar is an improvement for everyone, but especially people with diabetes like your husband. To that end, the sugar-free creamer is a better choice than the full sugar version. But as was discussed in this article, low-fat (1%) or fat-free (skim) milk is even better choice than creamer or half and half, since it is lower in saturated and trans fat. Milk also is a great source of 9 essential nutrients. Most restaurants should have milk as an option for coffee. If you don’t see it, it doesn’t hurt to ask. If your husband needs more help in getting his blood sugar under control, I recommend talking with your healthcare provider and/or getting a referral to a Registered Dietitian, who can help him make healthy eating and activity choices to better control his diabetes.

Understanding that sugar is problematic I switched to liquid Stevia sometime ago. I use it for everything that needs to be sweetened, including coffee. Since I have a sweet tooth, I believe this change has been beneficial for me. I’m wondering if you agree and have any comments about the use of Stevia since people have asked about alternative ways to sweeten. Stevia is natural … not an artificial sweetener, so in my opinion it would be a better sweetening alternative for sugar … or artificial sweeteners.

I have switched to Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk….love, love, love it! You can even add cinnamon to the coffee and you have a great evening treat. (Pumpkin Pie Spice for fall!!!) Went from the sugared coffee creamers, to half and half, then to 2% milk, then skim milk….think I will stick with the almond milk….I too like a more creamy taste to my coffee. I only use about 2 teaspoons, but it works for me.

I thought I was doing a good thing for my health after being diagnosed with high cholesterol, by switching to a non-dairy creamer and almond milk for my smoothies. I have noticed that after my morning coffee, I burped a lot. I attributed that to the acid in the coffee, couldn’t be the creamer, it was non-dairy! Then I noticed that I would be burping even more, in fact almost constantly after my smoothie made with almond milk. Didn’t realize that almost the same ingredients that make non-dairy creamer creamy also make almond milk thicker and creamier. Bought 1/2&1/2 this morning, no more non-dairy stuff. Bought goats milk, too, it’s expensive, but it’s also easier on the digestive system than cow’s milk. I did use regular 2% milk in this morning’s smoothie and much less burping. I thought I was doing a good thing switching from dairy to avoid the fats. Took me a while to figure out the artificial stuff is worse. I’m sticking with God made foods, and using the dairy in moderation.

I balance my day with hot instant medium to dark roast fresh coffee and regular non dairy creamer just a taste
of flavor such as half milk and condense a&d special blend variety samples of seasonal spices. happy all day!

Nice post you have to provide to us.. its really amazing post.. I am glad to read this great post about coffee matter..Me and my wife like to spend our free time with coffee and each other.. Thanks for posting about benefits about coffee and which creamer best for coffee.. Thanks again..

I came here looking to show my grandson that my non dairy creamer was healthier than him switching to half and half. Now who is the dope? :)
I know this is an older post but I still wanted to say thank you. It’s great!

Good to see people still responding to this very informative post and good to see you, the author, still responding. So my thing is that I used to use regular CoffeeMate… way too much of it in fact. I decided 1.5 months ago to cut pretty much all sugar out of my diet. Since doing that I’ve lost weight without even trying…. my stomach has shrunk and my pants are getting baggy. My only problem is still what i put in my coffee. I can’t handle black coffee and just half and half is still too bitter. I switched to Sugar Free CoffeeMate but it still has Corn Syrup in it… 15gm per tbsp. Any advice on something better to have with my coffee that is still slightly sweet but less or even no real sugar? Half and half with honey? I guess if a little sugar free CoffeeMate is the only sugar I’m ingesting all day, I’m still doing pretty good right? :)

Congratulations on your decision to limit sugar in your diet, Daniel. This is a great change to make for your health and it seems like you’re already seeing the results!

In looking at the ingredients for sugar-free coffee creamer, you’re correct that it still includes some corn syrup solids (which still count as added sugar). Much like the trans fat labeling loophole, the serving size is so small that they can list 0g sugar (and call it sugar-free) even though it does contain sugar in the form of corn syrup solids.

So in looking for a replacement for the sugar-free coffee creamer, try experimenting with some of the alternatives listed above or in the comments until you find one you like. If you’re comfortable with artificial sweeteners, you can create your own truly sugar-free powdered coffee creamer with nonfat dried milk and your artificial sweetener of choice. You may also find unsweetened non-dairy milks (soy, almond, etc.) have enough flavor to take the bitter edge off without needing sugar. Honey and maple syrup are sweeter than plain table sugar, so you can use less for the same amount of sweetness. You can also try the gradual strategy outlined above for switching to 1% milk for reducing the amount of sweetness in your coffee over time.

And if you can’t find an alternative you like, enjoy your current coffee creamer. As you stated, you’ve already cut out most of the sugar you were eating before. A little bit of sweetness in your coffee each morning fits the definition of moderation and shouldn’t put you over the limit of 10% of calories from added sugar (about 12 teaspoons per day for a 2000 calorie diet).

One last question. I’ve googled this and there seems to be a debate on the answer: is fruit actually considered sugar and should be taken into account when adding up or considering your sugar intake? I always thought no, it shouldn’t really count as you don’t get nearly the calories from fruit or fruit sugar that you do with processed sugar. Am I correct on this or does the sugar in fruit actually add up to calories? Again, no one seems to agree on this with the articles I was able to find online.

Sorry for the delay in responding, Daniel. This is such a common question these days as people look to drastically cut back on sugar in their diet. The good news for fruit lovers is that added sugar is what we should be limiting, not the naturally occurring sugar in fruit or dairy (lactose). While fruit is fairly high in carbohydrates (which provide calories), it also provides healthful dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Added sugar (or processed sugar as you call it) is nothing but empty calories. You can read more about the difference between added sugar and naturally occurring sugar here.

In this discussion of alternatives, I’m curious why whole milk hasn’t been addressed as a replacement for half-and-half or processed non-dairy creamer. At about 4% milkfat, it’s not as low fat as 1%, but it provides significant creaminess as compared to low fat milk. It seems like an improvement over both typical cream and processed creamers.

Also, I’ve had luck reducing the sweetener in my coffee by switching my coffee to one less bitter. There are so many different kinds of coffee in regular grocery stores these days, and most have a description right on the package. For me, coffees described as rich, sweet, or mellow taste less bitter to me and need less sugar. It may be worth experimenting – just a thought!

Great question, Jan. Fat-free half and half does contain less saturated fat but some added sugar (listed in the ingredients, but not listed because the serving size is so small) compared to full-fat half and half.

I have started adding the skim milk and the shaking up the half and half then pouring a small amount on top, makes it foamy and creamy. I don’t use as much half and half as before but don’t loose the taste I want.

I have thought about this issue a lot and tired different things over the past year, all mentioned in this thread. I hate the taste of skim milk and even whole milk doesn’t add enough of a creamy taste when I am looking to make that creamy taste in the first place. However, what I found is that the best thing to do is train myself to drink the coffee black, and put in stevia if I want to sweeten it. True coffee lovers I have been told don’t add anything to their coffee. Being a desert and sweets lover, I was always inclined to make my coffee in a desert drink like melted coffee ice cream. What I found with creamers, was that if I kept half and half in my refrigerator, I would use it often because I knew that it would go past the expiration date and eventually sour if I didn’t consume it. For me the solution was to keep powdered non-dairy creamer around for an occasional indulgence. Because the powder has a super long shelf life. I can ignore it or even forget about it as I drink my black coffee. Occasionally (once a month), I can indulge in a cup of coffee with some non-dairy creamer as a treat. My conclusion is that it is better to accept the trans fats of the nondairy creamer if I am rarely having it, than to have the healthier fats and mass calories of constantly using half and half. Adding real sugar only makes the situation worse. The bottom line is that as long as you are only having a small amount of the non-dairy creamers, I think that is better than a larger amount of real cream. For people that have to have super creamy coffee every day, then I think they are indeed better off with the half and half than the non-dairy stuff full of trans fats, sugar, and chemicals. However, they need to keep in mind that those calories and fat from pure cream are part of their total consumption, and must be counted. Failure to do so doesn’t go unpunished.

Yes, that is the concept of moderation! We should aim to limit trans fats as much as possible, so once every month or so is probably not harmful. As other has mentioned above, nonfat dry milk might be a good substitute for a shelf-stable option if you’re interested. Thanks for sharing your approach to making a healthy shift with your coffee creamer, Todd.

I am trying to lower blood sugar and cholesterol. Totally confused about coffee creamers. I have been using coconut creamer which says 3% saturated fat, which is low compared to regular milk, but I still feel it is not healthy enough. I have tried fat free half and half, skim or 1% and just don’t know what to do. I can also use Splenda. Can you help me decide? Thank you!